LBio'ff 



TEACHING BOYS AND GIRLS 
HOW TO STUDY 

P. J. Zimmers 



Teaching Boys and Girls 
How to Study 



Being a brief treatment of the subjed: of the 

training of pupils in right habits of 

^udy through proper condudt 

of the class period 



D 



P. J. ZIMMERS 

SUPERINTENDENT OF CITY SCHOOLS 
MANITOWOC, WIS. 



D 



The Parker Educational Co. 

Publishers 
Madison, Wisconsin 



Price twenty cents 






**To me the end of education for the classroom is 
more and more clear. It should be straight thinking. 
The power to think clearly and straight comes from 
proper training. It is most successful when that 
training is obtained through self-help, which underlies 
the best work."— C. S. Armstrong. 



i 



0-^ 



Copyright 1917 
By The Parker Educational Co. 

FEB 15 1917 



©CI.A458050 



INTRODUCTION 

CHE article by Mr. Zimmers of Manitowoc 
seems well worth putting in more avail- 
able form than that in which it was first 
printed. I think no one will resent the state- 
ment that with some notable exceptions superin- 
tendents and principals, not only in Wisconsin 
but everywhere, have been falling far short of 
100 percent, efficiency in the matter of super- 
vision of grade work. The difficulty has been 
that most superintendents and principals have 
not been trained for it and do not know how to 
supervise, and not knowing how to supervise 
elementary work, and not being exactly willing 
to admit to themselves that such was the case, 
it is an easy matter to come to the conclusion 
that they do not have time to do it. Such is the 
subtlety of the human mind; such the manner in 
which we deceive ourselves. 

I welcome and wish to encourage everywhere 
the attempt at real supervision, and it matters 
little by what route one travels in arriving at 
the goal. 

3 



Mr. Zimmers gets his inspiration from 
McMurray, Ear hart, Strayer, and others. 
This is a splendid source of inspiration. Mr. 
Zimmers finds that efficiency in the class room 
in his schools has been greatly increased by the 
efforts of himself and his corps of teachers, 
through a persistent and intelligent effort to se- 
cure greater self -activity on the part of pupils 
and less (in the class hour) on the part of teach- 
ers. He believes, and I am confident that he is 
right about it, that the pupils of the Manitowoc 
schools now organize their knowledge better, 
that they develop more initiative, and that the 
results upon the whole are much better than in 
the past. 

There is no doubt in my mind that the teachers 
in the schools of Wisconsin are working con- 
scientiously and earnestly for the welfare and 
progress of their pupils; they are doing the best 
they can under the present order of things. 
There is little doubt in my mind, however, that 
they are falling below a possible standard of 
efficiency by at least 25 per cent. I could easily 
name many sorts of hindrance to the best results, 
but probably the chief one is the attempt to ac- 
complish more than children's minds can proper- 
ly assimilate. The result is a stuffing procsss, 
a memorizing process, in which teachers work at 
feverish heat to drive home the instruction. 



The next important step in the progress of our 
city schools is the application of scientific (stan- 
dardized) tests, so that superintendents may be 
able to form an accurate judgment as to the 
actual pogress made in the classroom. It will 
be noted that Mr. Zimmers has applied some of 
these tests. 

I have no doubt Mr. Zimmers' article here re- 
printed will prove helpful to many. 




State Superintendent. 
Madison, Wis., January, 1917. 



TEACHING BOYS AND GIRLS 
HOW TO STUDY 

The Schools Still Defective 

BLTHOUGrH the public schools are better and 
more efficient than they have ever been in 
their history, there is general dissatisfaction 
with them. From all sides shafts of criticism are 
hurled at them for their failure to do thorough 
work in the fundamentals and to train pupils in 
proper habits of study. 

Eecent surveys of the school systems in New 
York City; Butte, Montana; Portland, Oregon, 
and Cleveland, Ohio, indicate that the teaching in 
general is mediocre; that the teacher does far too 
much of the work, and that the pupils are trained 
to dependence and inactivity rather than to inde- 
pendence and self-activity. 

The investigation of the habits of study of 
thousands of school children in the United States 
made by Lida B. Earhart clearly shows that the 
schools are not training pupils in right methods 
of study, thus failing in one of their most funda- 
mental purposes. 

The Courtis tests, given so widely in the schools 
of the United States, show the effort made to 
measure in a definite way the character of the 
pupils^ activity. The results of these tests were 
an eye-opener to superintendents, principals, and 
teachers, as pupils were found to be slow and 
inaccurate. 



A Self-SuiTey of the Manitowoc Methods. 

These widespread criticisms, so insistent and 
general, coming as they have from school officials 
and laymen, finally influenced this study of the 
underlying causes which prompted them. 

In this study it was the good fortune of the 
writer to work under a teacher who presented an 
entirely new viewpoint in regard to school work, 
and it was due to his influence that this research 
work in the Manitowoc schools was undertaken. 
Whatever growth I have made, whatever help and 
inspiration have been given to the teachers, what- 
ever development the pupils have attained, not 
only mentally but also morally, through this new 
method of conducting class work, is largely due 
to the inspiration of this great teacher. 

Incidentally it may be said that school condi- 
tions in Manitowoc were good, the teaching was 
average, there was a very good corps of teachers 
and splendid co-operation, and results attained 
here could be duplicated in any city. 

In the first place, before attempting any radical 
changes in the methods of teaching, an investi- 
gation was made of the teaching in the city 
schools and it was found that while in some cases 
the work was exceptional, in a general way subjects 
were being handled as they had been for years 
previous. The teachers were doing most of the 
work and the pupils were not doing the kind of 
work, either in preparing their lessons or in recit- 
ing, that would develop right habits of study. 
Out of a large number of recitations which were 
heard, three have been chosen — one in geography, 

8 



one in arithmetic, and one in language — which 
bring out very forcibly the kind of work that was 
being done. It might be said here that a casual 
visitor would not see these conditions, as the first 
recitation cited clearly shows. 

Observation of a Geography Class. 

October 13, 1912, a fifth grade class in geog- 
raphy reciting on the chapter The Countries of 
North America was visited. The pupils appeared 
to be doing good work; they were interested and 
asked one another questions which were well 
answered. 

The next day observation was again made of 
the geography work in this grade. During these 
two recitations the pupils finished the chapter, 
which was brief and easy. At the close of the 
second recitation this question was put to the class : 
^^What is the important thing in this chapter ? In 
other words, what is there in this chapter worth 
remembering?" One pupil said the important 
thing was the discovery of America. This fact 
was incidentally mentioned in the chapter, but 
was of very minor importance. Another thought 
the Eevolutionary War was the important thing. 
This was also mentioned, but was of little impor- 
tance. A third said the important thing was 
Russia selling Alaska to the United States, which 
also occurred in the chapter, but was not vital. 
Finally the pupils were asked to open their books, 
to do anything they chose in order to state the 
important thing in the chapter. One pupil finally 
said that the important thing was "the countries 



of North America." A boy was asked to step to 
a map, to name and point to the countries of 
North America. He named Alaska, Canada, the 
United States, the Mississippi Valley, and the 
Eocky Mountains. 

Here was a class that had spent two days on a 
simple chapter in geography, had mechanically 
memorized everything in it without thought, had 
completed the work, but had failed to get the one 
important thing — they could not name the coun- 
tries of North America, which was perhaps the 
only thing worth remembering. In other words, 
they did not know how to study, and the char- 
acter of this class work did not require them to 
study. 

The work done these two days may be analyzed 
more definitely as follows: 

Teacher activity 70% 

Pupil activity 30% 

Number of questions (estimated) 108 

Memory questions (estimated) 102 

Organization by pupils 

Consideration of relative values by pu- 
pils 

Pupil initiative Good 

Aim of lesson Knowledge 

Accomplishment of aim Poor 

A Language Class. 

Another concrete example of class period in- 
efficiency was a sixth grade in language dealing 
with the irregular verbs lie and lay. The pupils 
learned and recited the principal parts of these 

10 



verbs and then filled out the blank sentences in 
the text-book with the proper forms. The next 
day the pupils were tested on their knowledge of 
these same verbs in specific situations. A book 
was placed on the desk and the question asked: 
''What have I done with the book?" Twenty out 
of thirty-six pupils said, "You have laid the book 
on the desk," and sixteen said, *'You have lain the 
book on the desk." Then this question was asked : 
"Suppose the book has been on the desk two 
hours; how would you express it?" Twenty-two 
said, "The book has been lying on the desk two 
hours," and fourteen said, "The book has been 
laying on the desk two hours." This showed in- 
effective teaching, because after completing the 
study of these verbs the pupils were unable to use 
them correctly in definite situations. This lan- 
guage period may be analyzed as follows : 

Teacher activity 60% 

Pupil activity 40% 

Number of questions (estimated) 42 

Thought questions 2 

Memory questions 40 

Organization by pupils 

Pupil initiative Poor 

Aim of lesson Knowledge 

Accomplishment of aim Poor 

A Class in Arithmetic. 

An opportunity came one morning to determine 

the habits of study of pupils in a seventh grade. 

The teacher of this grade had just announced that 

her pupils had covered thoroughly the subject of 

11 



percentage. These simple questions were then put 
to the class, ample time being given for thought: 

What is 300% of $2? Only one gave the cor- 
rect result. What is 1/8% of $16 ? :Nrot one gave 
the correct result. %% was confused with 12%%. 

The pupils were asked to write the following per 
cents in a column as decimals, with the decimal 
points under one another as though adding: 25% ; 
21/2%; 250%; l^%. Hardly a pupil could do 
this correctly. Here was a class which had finished 
percentage but did not know the FUNDAMENT- 
ALS of the subject. No one was more surprised 
than the teacher herself at the inability of these 
pupils to apply what they were supposed to know 
of percentage. After a conference the teacher 
asked for a month in which to TEACH the sub- 
ject. At the end of that time another test was 
given and the results were truly surprising. 

Incidentally it may be said that the above 
teachers were normal school graduates and were 
regarded as good, average teachers. 

A Test in the Hygiene Class. 

As a part of this investigation the following test 
on the systematic study of an ordinary lesson in 
hygiene was given to the pupils in the sixth, 
seventh and eighth grades: 

What is the subject of this lesson? 

Write a list of the principal topics in it. 

What do you think is the most important thing 
in this lesson? 

What are your reasons for thinking this so im- 
portant ? 

12 



What other facts do you know about any of 
these topics? 

What questions would you ask in regard to 
anything in this lesson that is not clear to you 
or that you would like to know more about? 

The following are the results of the test : 

Sixty-two per cent of the pupils found the most 
important thing in the lesson and sixty-five per 
cent found the list of principal topics. This simple 
test again showed that the pupils were not being 
trained in proper habits of study. 

Ck>rrecting the Errors Observed Through Teachers' 
Meetings. 

After this investigation of classroom work a 
series of eight general teachers' meetings was held, 
at which but one topic was discussed: Training 
pupils in habits of purpose, organization, initia- 
tive, independence, and self-activity — through the 
right conduct of the recitation or class period; in 
other words, training boys and girls in right habits 
of study. The following books were the basis of 
study : 

How to Study and Teaching How to Study, by 
F. M. McMurry; Teaching Children to Study, by 
Lida B. Earhart; A Brief Course in the Teaching 
Process, by George D. Stray er. 

The following are two typical lists of problems 
studied by teachers in advance and then discussed 
at these meetings, the responsibility being thrown 
upon the teachers: 

A. 

1. (a) Be prepared to give a two-minute talk 

13 



on the value of specific purposes; (b) name three 
recently used by you. 

2. If you were conducting this meeting what 
would be your leading question on the chapter on 
Organization in McMurry? 

3. Why is a class period in which the teacher 
asks sixty questions which test the pupils' knowl- 
edge of facts recorded in the book not ver^^ valu- 
able? 

4. Distinguish fully between "qualitative and 
quantitative thoroughness." 

5. (a) Explain definitely how the conduct of 
the class period determines largely the habits of 
study of pupils; (b) what is the purpose of most 
class periods? 

6. Give five questions which will aid pupils to 
grow in self-reliance and initiative. 

B. 

1. State one thing you are now doing in your 
class work which you did not do before your study 
of McMurry. In other words, what have you 
applied to your own class work? 

2. Should methods of study have precedence 
over the other aims of the school, even over the 
acquisition of knowledge? 

3. What is the effect of teaching pupils to study 
properly: (a) On the crowded curriculum? (b) 
on the pupil? (c) on the teacher? (d) on the 
general spirit and discipline of the school ? 

4. Discuss what seems to you the most valuable 
of the five divisions of The Basis for Judging 
Classroom Instruction. 



14 



5. Memorizing: (a) What is the relation be- 
tween thinking and memorizing? (b) "Memoriz- 
ing is a by-product of thinking instead of a sub- 
stitute for it''; explain this statement fully; (c) 
give three suggestions for teaching pupils to mem- 
orize properly. 

6. Explain definitely the moral value of train- 
ing in overcoming intellectual difficulties. In 
other words^ is there any relation between methods 
of instruction and moral development? 

In addition to these general meetings, in each 
building school was dismissed at recess in the 
afternoon at least once a year and a demonstration 
recitation conducted by one of the best teachers in 
the building, showing how to develop right habits 
of study in pupils. This class period was then 
thoroughly discussed by the teachers of the build- 
ing and the strong points brought to light. If it 
had not been for these building meetings and 
classes taught before the teachers this kind of 
teaching could never have become so successful in 
Manitowoc. The following is a typical list of 
questions discussed at one of these meetings : 

1. Give one illustration connecting your school- 
room work with real life. 

2. (a) What is the fundamental weakness of 
the average recitation? (b) How should the cus- 
tomary recitation be modified? 

3. *Elements of a good question: (1) Stimu- 
lates reflection; (2) adapted to the experience of 
pupils; (3) has "motor power" in drawing forth a 



*The Question as a Measure of Efficiency in Instruction, 
by Romiett Stevens. 



15 



complete thought. Discuss the above and give 
illustrations. 

4. What is the most significant thing to you in 
the chapter , The Using of Ideas as a Sixth Fac- 
tor in Study ? Why ? 

5. (a) What is the most significant thing to 
you in the monograph, The Modernization of 
Arithmetic? Why? (h) what omissions in arith- 
metic would you recommend ? 

Near the close of the series of meetings the 
topic, *The Basis for Judging Classroom Instruc- 
tion, was taken up and thoroughly studied by all 
the teachers. At the last meeting the following 
was given to each teacher in typewritten form and 
thoroughly discussed, witli the announcement that 
it was to serve as the basis for judging the class- 
room work of teachers: 

1. Purpose of the class period. 

2. Attention to relative values. 

3. Organization. 

4. Provision for developing initiative, independ- 
ence, and self-activity in pupils. 

5. Personal characteristics of pupils: voice, 
manner, personal appearance. 

Establishing a Standard. 

This standard serves two purposes: (1) as a 
basis for teachers in judging their own work ; and 
(2) as a basis for supervisors in judging the work 
of the teachers. This standard is based on the 
ACTIVITIES of pupils. The important thing 
is not what the teacher is doing but what the 



♦See McMurry Standards. 

16 



pupils are doing. The most common criticism of 
our school practice is that it does nothing but 
transmit facts; that it does not develop the ability 
to think. In the above standard '^the acquisition 
of knowledge is made subordinate to the develop- 
ment in pupils of the power to work independ- 
ently, intelligently, and economically." The schools 
should give a training for life that will fit the 
individual to do well the things he undertakes, no 
matter what that thing may be. 

1. As the character of the class period deter- 
mines to a large extent the habits of study of 
pupils, it is logical to assume that a standard for 
judging it should have some relation to the factors 
of study. If the class period calls simply for 
facts^ then only memory work on the part of pupils 
is required. 

If, however, "the class period affords a fresh, 
sharp problem, the solution of which may be found 
in the lesson assigned for study, then it tests the 
pupils' ability to analyze and organize the subject 
matter of the book." They must then employ the 
factors of study, and memor}^ work cannot be made 
such a prominent factor. The first factor of 
study, then, is the recognition of a problem, pur- 
pose, or motive. All people, young or old, if 
they work effectively, must have an incentive. 

We only think when we have a problem, the 
solution of which is worth while to us, is the pur- 
port of Dewey's work. This theon^ maintains that 
thinking ability is secured by ha\dng problems to 
think about and that thinking is tied up with the 
immediately useful. It places emphasis on the 

17 



immediate end, which Horace Mann advocated in 
1842. 

As the first factor in study is the recognition 
of a problem, so the class period should also deal 
with a problem or purpose. The purpose of most 
class periods must be to teach pupils how to study 
through the right conduct of the class period. 

2. The. class period should make provision for 
the appreciation of the relative value of things. 
This means the cultivation of good judgment, 
which is one of the most important abilities for 
pupils to acquire for successful living. Successful 
living means good selection, and good selection 
depends on good judgment. The class period 
should give ample opportunity for weighing values. 
If a teacher recognizes in primary reading that 
symbols are subordinate to thought, relative values 
have been considered. The two have been weighed, 
and the thought side has been decided on as the 
more important to the pupil. The purpose becomes 
the basis for judging relative values. 

3. Organization insures thoroughness of com- 
prehension. It signifies getting the main points, 
together with the supporting details, with the 
elimination of unrelated and unimportant details. 
To have organization, the class period must deal 
in large units and must avoid isolated things. 
Broad questions should be put to the pupils, not 
detailed questions, which break up the thought. 
A class period in which the teacher asks sixty 
questions which test the pupils^ knowledge of facts 
recorded in the book is not very valuable, because 
they depend on these questions as a crutch to help 

18 



them along when they should be able to proceed 
by themselves. Pupils need to learn a subject 
thoroughly and to talk on topics without help from 
the teacher. This will cause them to organize the 
subject matter. Business men say that graduates 
of high schools and even of colleges cannot take a 
letter and word the one principal idea in a single 
sentence or two. One employer declares that it is 
almost impossible to find a secretary who can take 
two or three sentences of direction and compose a 
letter to embody it. It is clearly evident, there- 
fore, that the schools should develop in pupils the 
practical ability of selecting the main point and 
distinguishing it from unimportant details. 

"Teach half as much and teach it twice as well. 
It has the same effect as picking off half the fruit 
of a laden tree." 

4. One of the most important functions of the 
class period is the development of initiative and 
self-reliance. These qualities are fundamental, 
not only in proper study, but they lie at the very 
basis of a democracy such as ours, and it is impor- 
tant that the school make provision for their de- 
velopment. In these days of hysteria it is essential 
that the future citizen be trained to stand on his 
own feet and to think for himself. 

The ordinary man never trains himself to make 
a move unless some one tells him to do so. The 
advancement of successful men from position to 
position is due largely to this faculty of doing 
things without being told. Successful men have 
the nerve and decision to act quickly and assume 
the initiative in times of emergency. Men who 

19 



are most in demand are the ones who can stand 
up under responsibility and be counted on to do 
the right thing without depending on somebody- 
else. 

How is initiative developed? Certainly not by 
having the teacher take all the initiative and re- 
sponsibility in the conduct of the class period. To 
DEVELOP initiative, the pupils must EXER- 
CISE initiative, and the class period must provide 
this opportunity. To secure this initiative, there 
must be a change in the conduct of the class 
period. 

(a) The teacher must become less prominent 
and the pupils more prominent. The teacher 
must contribute less and demand greater contri- 
butions from the class. In other words, the pu- 
pils are to do most of the thinking, planning, and 
executing, while the teacher directs and stimulates. 
If the pupils are to do most of the work DURING 
the class period the teacher must do most of the 
work BEFORE the class period. One of the most 
valuable things a teacher can do to increase in 
teaching power is to prepare two or three thought 
questions for one or more class periods each day. 
Questions such as the following develop initiative : 

What is the most important thing in the lesson ? 

What are your reasons for thinking this so im- 
portant ? 

Write a list of the principal topics in the lesson. 

How did you study this lesson? 

What interested you most? 

Does the point you are considering bear upon 
the subject we are discussing? 

20 



Is it important enough to justify spending much 
time upon it? 

Are we through with this lesson? 

What important question is answered in this 
paragraph ? 

What object do you see in studying this para- 
graph ? 

What bearing on life has it ? 

Word the one principal thought of a lesson in a 
full sentence. 

(b) The aim of many class periods, especially 
in the lower grades, must be to teach pupils to 
master lessons in the teacher's presence, not pri- 
marily for knowledge but to learn how to study 
properly. Often the whole class with open books 
can profitably spend the time selecting the prin- 
cipal points, giving reasons for thinking them so 
important; and determining the underhdng idea 
running all through the chapter. This kind of 
class period is an improvement on the mere reci- 
tation of text matter. Training in the right habits 
of study is a pupiFs greatest need and should, 
therefore, be the principal aim of many class 
periods. Training develops, but filling pupils 
with facts deadens. The test of a class period is 
not how many facts are learned, but is there 
growth, activity, development? 

Of course, all class periods should not be con- 
ducted in the same way. 

5. On the fifth point the emphasis is pla^^ed on 
the pupils. The teacher may have good qualities, 
but the question is, are these qualities being used 

21 



as an influence for good on the personal qualities 
of the pupils? 

Observation of Results After Two Years of 
Application. 

After this basis of judging classroom instruction 
had been in operation two years the character of 
the class period was completely changed in most 
cases ; where before we had the same old-fashioned 
recitation, now we found an entirely different at- 
mosphere. The attitude not only of the pupils 
but also of the teachers and even of the super- 
visors was different. It is difficult to convey on 
paper any adequate conception of this marked 
improvement in classroom instruction, but it is 
easily discernible even to the casual visitor. 

As before, while any number of class periods 
could be enumerated to show this, three have been 
chosen which most clearly show the kind of work 
being done at present. The results of ten average 
class perijods have also been tabulated. (Table I) 

October 22, 1915, a seventh grade glass in 
geography discussed the topic Germany's Rapid 
Advance under two heads: 

1. Nature of the advance. 

2. Eeasons for it. 

(1) The government. 

(2) Education. 

In the thirty-five minute discussion of the sub- 
ject the teacher directed and stimulated, and talked 
not to exceed four minutes. The pupils virtually 
assumed responsibility, in some cases a pupil 
speaking for two or three minutes, and to the 

22 





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23 



point. Education was given the most consider- 
ation. One boy talked fully three minutes on the 
continuation schools of Germany, although this 
was not in the text-book at all, showing that they 
were supplementing what was in the lesson. In 
this connection the continuation schools and phy- 
sical education in Manitowoc were fully discussed, 
showing that pupils were putting their ideas to 
use. The discussion waxed warm, the pupils talk- 
ing directly to one another. Analysis of class 
period : 

Teacher activity 10% 

Pupil activity (estimated) 90% 

Number of questions by teacher 5 

Thought questions 4 

Memory questions 1 

Number of questions by pupils 30 

Organization by pupils Excellent 

Consideration of relative values by pu- 
pils Good 

Pupil initiative Excellent 

Aim of lesson — to develop in pupils 
"the power to work independentl}^, 
economically, and intelligently." 
Accomplishment of aim Complete 

This teaching was on a high plane, because pu- 
pils were actually solving a problem which to 
them seemed worth while, and were thus being 
trained in right habits of study. Moreover, they 
were happy, active, and enthusiastic in this work, 
and as a result the discipline was splendid, there 
being neither time nor inclination for extraneous 

24 



affairs. Incidentally it may be said that this 
teacher was not a normal school graduate. 

November 11, 1915, another seventh grade un- 
der another teacher was visited when there was a 
class period on the topic The Industries of Eng- 
land. The pupils divided this subject into five 
topics and assumed much of the responsibility. 
Analysis of this class period : 

Teacher activity 12% 

Pupil activity 88% 

Number of questions by pupils (esti- 
mated) 40 

Thought questions (estimated) 24 

Memory questions 16 

Organization by pupils Excellent 

Consideration of relative values by pu- 
pils Good 

Pupil initiative Excellent 

Aim of lesson — to develop in pupils 
"the power to work independently, 
intelligently, and economically." 
Accomplishment of aim Complete 

In this same room the pupils gave work in oral 
arithmetic to their classmates which v/as on a par 
with the work usually done by teachers. 

However, there was more life and virility be- 
cause the pupils themselves did the work. 

October 22, 1915, a third grade class in lan- 
guage was visited. The class period was devoted 
to the study, description, and naming of a picture, 
The Two Mothers and Their Familips, by Eliza- 
beth Gardner. The general aim of the lesson was 

25 



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26 



to interest pupils in good pictures and the special 
aim to teach them to tell stories from pictures. 
The picture was shown to the class, keeping the 
name concealed, and each pupil had an opportunity 
to study it. Then the question was asked : "What 
do you see in the picture?" "What story have 
you to tell about what you have just seen ?'^ There 
were eight stories told, several very good ones, 
stories that required thought. One of the best 
was as follows: 

"The mother is sitting by the cradle. There is 
a little baby in the cradle. A little girl about three 
years old is standing near her mother. The mother 
is talking and telling the little girl something. The 
little girl is pointing to a hen and her flock of 
chickens that are very near the cradle. The moth- 
er is telling the little girl to be kind to the chick- 
ens, never to harm them; to take good care of 
them, for they have as much right to live as we 
have, and the mother hen would feel just as sorry 
if something happened to her little chicks as her 
mother would if harm should come to the little 
one in the cradle. I think they are very poor, be- 
cause the little girl does not seem to have much 
clothing." 

After all the stories had been given the question 
was asked: "Which story do you like the best, 
and why?'^ After this discussion the teacher 
asked the class to name the picture. After a 
short time one pupil gave the name The Two 
Families. It was decided that the name given 
was a good one and the class preferred it to the 
one Elizabeth Gardner had given. The questions 
asked by this teacher in the third grade threw the 
responsibility on the pupils, causing them to or- 
ganize the subject matter. The pupils showed by 
their faces and actions that there v»^as life, en- 
thusiasm, happiness, and fine spirit because they 
27 



were doing something worth while. Analysis of 
the class period: 

Teacher activity 35% 

Pupil activity 65% 

Number of questions by teacher (esti- 
mated) 22 

Thought questions 14 

Memory questions 8 

Number of questions by pupils 10 

Organization by pupils Good 

Consideration of relative values by pu- 
pils Excellent 

Pupil initiative Excellent 

In addition to the investigation of the classroom 
work concrete tests were given to discover im- 
provements in the habits of study of pupils. For 
instance^ March 1, 1916, a test on the systematic 
study of an ordinary lesson was given to four 
hundred pupils in the sixth, seventh, and eighth 
grades, witli the result that this time eighty-two 
per cent found the most important thing in the 
lesson and eighty-five per cent found a list of the 
principal topics. 

When this same test was given to thousands of 
school children in various cities of the United 
States by Miss Earhart a few years ago only 
twenty-seven pupils out of every hundred found 
the most important thing in the lesson and only 
thirty-three out of every hundred made an ade- 
quate list of the principal topics, although the 
test was on a simple lesson in geography. 
Effects of This Work in the Manitowoc Schools. 
This concerted action of all the teachers of 



28 



Manitowoc to train pupils in proper habits of 
study has had an effect: (1) on the pupils; (2) 
on the teacher; (3) on the course of study; (4) 
on the general spirit and discipline of the schools. 

(1) The character of this work engenders re- 
sponsibility and self-activity on the part of the 
pupils. They are doers. Instead of looking and 
listening they are planning, working, and execut- 
ing, while the teacher directs and stimulates. They 
develop mental habits and mental and moral fiber 
instead of being filled with an enormous, crushing 
weight of useless facts, not more than one-fourth 
of which will be of any value to them in later life. 
This kind of work trains to thoroughness, accu- 
racy, and self -discipline. It develops good, strong 
character — one of the main purposes of education 
under a democracy. It means ^^a live pupil in a 
live school, learning to live by living each day in 
the school." 

March 1, 1916, the pupils in one of the seventh 
grades were asked to write their reaction on this 
new way of conducting classroom instruction, and 
the following are some of their statements : 

"It makes us use our minds during the recita- 
tion." 

"It makes me study more." 

"It teaches me to think for myself." 

"I get more out of my lesson." 

"We learn to ask questions that have some 
meaning." 

"Pupils find out things for themselves." 

"It teaches me to find the most important 
things." 



29 



"I like to hear the things others have read in 
other books and tell.'^ 

"It helps me to be accurate." 

"It makes me use all the time I have/' 

"I learn to use good English." 

"I am glad to hear things that others get out of 
a lesson that I did not get." 

(2) Under this plan of teaching the pupils 
largely assume the responsibility and initiative for 
the conduct of the class work, thus supplying the 
steam. One reason for the breakdown of many 
teachers is that they assume everything and as a 
result very little is left for pupils to do, and they 
become listless and active in things not pertaining 
to class work. The teachers say that the work is 
hard under this new plan, but that it is interest- 
ing, vitalizing, refreshing work that brings results. 

(3) Much is said at present throughout the 
United States, and truthfully, that the course of 
study is overcrowded and that the fundamentals 
are neglected. The overcrowded course has come 
to stay and every generation will add to it. There 
is but one remedy, and that is teaching boys and 
girls how to study. The teachers are trained to 
select the large, vital topics and the pupils are 
trained in the class period to select the basic, 
salient facts with the details necessary to support 
them and then to eliminate the rest. This trains 
their judgment to determine the essentials from 
the non-essentials. In these days of wildcat specu- 
lation it is important to train pupils to detect the 
spurious from the genuine. 

Under this plan the teaching is more effective, 



30 



because pupils cover the ground about ONE- 
HALF as fast as formerly, but spend TWICE as 
much time upon a topic. Teachers and pupils have 
learned that the only condition under which any 
topic is really digested is that the mind dwell 
upon it for some time. This means assimilation, 
and assimilation always takes time, and as a result 
there is usually not enough time to cover a course 
of study, thus forcing teachers and pupils to select 
the essentials. 

(4) This kind of work has a beneficial effect 
on the general spirit and atmosphere of the school. 
When pupils are engaged in activities which to 
them are worth while they are fully occupied in 
their work and as a result there is no problem of 
discipline. 



31 



Bibliography 

Betts, G. H The Recitation. 

Bryan, E. B The Basis of Practical Teach- 
ing. 

Coffman, Lotus D. . .Supervision: Its Nature and 
Scope. 
School and Home Education, 
February, 1915. 

Dewey, John Moral Principles in Educa- 
tion. 

Dewey, John Democracy and Education. 

Earhart, Lida B . . . . Types of Teaching. 

Earhart, Lida B . . . . Teaching Children to Study. 

Eliot, Charles W . . . . The Concrete and Practical in 
Education. 

Hamilton, Samuel. . . The Recitation. 

James, William Talks to Teachers on Psy- 
chology. 

King, Irving Education for School Effi- 
ciency. 

McMurry, P. M Elementary School Standards. 

McMurry, F. M How to Study and Teaching 

How to Study. 

McMurry, C. A Conflicting Principles of 

Teaching. 

McMurry, C. A Handbook of Practice for 

Teachers. 

McMurry, C. A Elements of General Method. 

McMurry, F. M.-C. A.The Method of the Recitation. 

Moore, E. C What Is Education? 

O'Shea, M. V Everyday Problems in Teach- 
ing. 

Parker, S. C Methods of Teaching in High 

Schools. 

Spencer, Herbert. .. .Education. 

Strayer, G. D A Brief Course in the Teach- 
ing Process. 

Thorndike, E. L. . . .Principles of Teaching. 

Whitney, W. T The Socialized Recitation. 



32 



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